Into the Night
by Dungeonwriter
Summary: Zuko goes shopping with Ty Lee and gets more than he bargained for. This chapter: Mai gets her say.
1. Into the Night I

A new pairing, because I am committed to writing Zuko with any girl I feel might improve him and when I saw "The Beach", I just realized what a good match Ty Lee might make for him.

Into the Night 

Like a gift from the heavens, it was easy to tell,  
It was love from above, that could save me from hell,

She had fire in her soul it was easy to see,  
How the devil himself could be pulled out of me,

-Santana

Zuko had tried everything. He had gotten Mai a new necklace made of gold and rubies.

Mai liked silver better and thought rubies were boring and flashy.

Zuko had gotten her a new silk gown, from the most expensive kimono maker in the kingdom.

Mai had mentioned that the size was wrong, the color was terrible and the design was pathetic.

Zuko had finally decided that no mere man would ever be able to figure out what his cranky girlfriend wanted. He just wanted to see that passion in her eyes, the will to life, the fire that burned only for him.

So he did what any intelligent male would do. Ask her best friend Ty Lee to accompany him and pick something out that would not earn him a cruel remark and sharp words.

"What do you think of this chalice?" Zuko asked, admiring one of the glass objects on the shelf. His mother had something like one of those.

"It's lovely! Ohh, it's so shiny, it makes rainbows out of light. But I think Mai would hate it," Ty Lee said, picking up a beautiful pearl necklace. "She'd hate this too. Even if it's beautiful."

Zuko gulped. "You take it," he said. Ty Lee was annoying, but her stupid chatter was better than grumpy sarcasm.

"Thank you!" Ty Lee said, nearly choking him with a hug. Zuko hated being hugged. Didn't she have any idea of personal boundaries? "My aura is as pink as I am!" Well, it wasn't that bad to be hugged, but it was general good policy to avoid seeming mushy.

"Yeah, I can tell," Zuko lied, unsure of how else to react to her gratitude. "So…you like this stuff?" he asked, unsure how the female mind worked. Unless it was Azula's mind and then it was just a bad place.

"Sure. Anything given to me with kindness is appreciated. When you are one of seven, you appreciate every little thing. I mean, Ty Lan, Ty Lin, Ty Lu, Ty Lim, Ty Ling and Ty Lah are all great, but…" she trailed off.

"They aren't you," Zuko noted, looking at a wall-hanging. "You like being a circus freak more," he noted.

"Hey, it's cool being a circus freak. It's a nice life, never the same place twice, always new adventures. Don't knock it till you tried it," Ty Lee chirped, fingering her new necklace.

"I lived on the road. It isn't fun at all," Zuko muttered darkly, feeling a rant coming on. They tended to happen a lot lately.

"I know. I missed you a lot. Never stopped hoping you would come home," Ty Lee said tenderly. "My aura was blue for two years until I ran off to the circus to forget home," she explained.

"Really?" Zuko breathed, finding his hand shaking slightly. He had always imagined everyone had forgotten him in exile.

"Sure. I wanted to write to you, but my parents said it would be bad for my marriage prospects. So I wrote to you in my scrolls. I knew one day, you'd be back and then I could give it to you," Ty Lee explained, trying on a scarf.

"I…you're…not horrible," Zuko mumbled. She actually wasn't. She was perky and ditzy and cheery but she wasn't a complete pain in the eye either.

"Thanks. You're wonderful too," Ty Lee whispered, drawing closer to him. Her eyes didn't seem as cheery as they used to be. They were focused and concentrating on him, longing for him.

Closing his eyes, Zuko leaned in for the kiss. He had to admit, this was wrong on so many levels but he had an Avatar possibly alive and his honor riding on remedying that and frankly, he needed this.

"Well…this is a black hole," a cold voice said, as Zuko felt the bad luck spirit catch up to him in the form of an armed and irate girlfriend.

"Mai…I didn't hear you coming," Ty Lee supplied helpfully, still entwined in Zuko's arms. She was too skinny to be used as a shied. Well, Zuko couldn't do that. For one, he liked Ty Lee. Another reason: Mai's aim was too good.

"Well, you were most likely too busy to notice," Mai said, glaring at them both. "Having fun?" she asked. She had not gone to her sleeve. This was a good thing.

"Mai…I can explain," Zuko said, very much hoping he wasn't lying. He could explain this. He just had to figure out how.

"Don't bother. Knock up the little circus slut. See if I care," Mai sneered, stretching. "I figured you'd enjoy something easy."

'She's not a slut. She's just easy…" Zuko said, before realizing how stupid he was sounding. Ty Lee looked at him, nodding for him to keep talking. "Easy to be with." But Mai was…special and wonderful and she was complicated and he still cared about her.

"Save it. You both are annoying. I have things to do," Mai said, turning on her heel. Her voice was utterly emotionless. It was like daggers in his heart. Well, it would be, if he was getting what he deserved.

"Zuko…I'm sorry," Ty Lee whispered. "It was just an accident…" She touched the necklace around her neck.

"I should go after her," Zuko said, wincing at the hatred and pain he would search for in Mai's eyes.

"I'd like you not to," Ty Lee whispered, still clinging on to him. "Can't we just stay this way?"

"She's your best friend,' Zuko said, confused. Didn't girls have some bond of loyalty?

"At least let me talk to her. Please. I made this mess. I have to clean it up," Ty Lee whispered, kissing him again.

Zuko tried to shy away. Ty Lee was so delicate. She cried easily. She got insulted. And he…had a temper, like Mai said. "Just go. I don't need this." She didn't need this.

"I think you do. I know you do," Ty Lee said. "Please…trust me, Zuko."

And Zuko did something his brain told him was wrong. He didn't move and held the wonderful circus freak in his arms.

**AN-Chapter Two will be up Friday. Hope you enjoyed it! **


	2. Into the Night II

Chapter II: Into The Night

We forgot where we were and we lost track of time

-Santana

Zuko knocked on the door to Mai's room.

"Can I come in?" he asked, when he realized all he was getting was silence.

He heard a chair scrape the floor but nothing else. She was in her room, that much he knew. He could of course climb through the window and try to rescue her, but that would get him killed.

"I'm opening the door, you better not be naked," he said. And if she was, well, that just might make this worse.

Mai's room was as stark and bare as possible. There was no clutter. There was only a bed, a small chest for her belongings and blank walls, pockmarked by shuriken thrown into them.

Mai herself was lying flat on her back, tossing senbon out of the window to hit ripe moon peaches. Zuko would have been happier had she smashed a few things in anger or taken some revenge. Still, he had a sneaking suspicion that Mai was imaging the peaches to be him. He didn't know if that thought was comforting or terrifying.

"What do you want?" Mai asked, not looking up. Her hair had come out of her traditional hairstyle. It looked good on her.

"I wanted to talk," Zuko said. That was a very good start, it left him sounding concerned without actually having to say anything.

"Then talk," Mai said coldly, continuing to throw the needles at the fruit. She had not even glanced at him.

"I…am sorry," Zuko said, putting all his Pai Sho tiles on the table. He had screwed up and admitting it seemed smart. Then he could just move on really quickly.

"Are you sorry you kissed Ty Lee?" Mai asked, throwing another dart at the wall, only a few inches away from Zuko.

"No…well, I mean…yes….I don't know," Zuko admitted, quite flustered. Kissing Ty Lee hadn't been like kissing Mai, it was like eating ginger candy and cherry candy, both were good, just…different.

"Then why are you here? It's over between us," Mai informed him, finally glaring at him.

"Of course it is. You won't even fight for me," Zuko demanded. "If I was worth something to you, you'd show some form of emotion!"

"If I was worth something to you…I wouldn't have to," Mai whispered, finally showing some emotion on her beautiful face. "But you just keep wanting me to be someone I'm not."

"And I'm not worth changing for?" Zuko hissed, confused. If she loved him as she had hinted, it wouldn't be that much to ask.

"No. I am who I am. And you are who you are. And that's the way it's going to stay," Mai said coldly, the mask of indifference coming over her face. Her hand had strayed back to her sleeve for more needles to toss.

"Fine," Zuko said, disappointed. She had so much emotion bubbling under the surface. At least, he thought she did. Sometimes, he wondered if she felt anything.

"It's not that it matters, but do you plan to keep slobbering over the little tramp?" Mai asked, looking at him sideways.

"That tramp is your best friend. And…I don't know," Zuko said, sure he should leave now before things got worse.

"Well, you better not break her heart. You're aggressive and abrasive, she deserves to be treated right," Mai said lazily.

"So you do care about her?" Zuko asked, shocked at what she was saying. The girl had taken away her boyfriend and Mai still defended her.

"Ty Lee came here to apologize. I told her nothing has changed between us. I want her happy. I care about you both. The problem is, neither of you cared enough about me," Mai said, staring at him for a long moment before waving her arm. "This is pointless. Go find her and listen to her prattle about auras."

"Mai…I am sorry," Zuko whispered, wondering if that was a tear in her eye. Nah, most likely dust.

"You're stupid. Not sorry. But that's your problem. I said, go away." Mai's tone had gone icy.

And again, Zuko did what he was told.

**AN-So, a poll. What would you like to see in the story? More Zuko/Ty Lee fluff? Some actual plot? I am all ears!**


End file.
